Mirage Night Club

As you may or not night know, I have a love hate relationship going on with Downtown Baltimore. The combination of tourist, college kids, limited and over priced parking is just a bit too much for me to put up with for a night on the town. After much procrastination,  I finally bit the bullet so I could find out what the hub-bub at Mirage Night Club was all about and the venue does not disappoint.  The space provides a nice break from the typical converted rowhouse club layout you find in Baltimore and looks like its original use may have been a post office or bank.  Graphic wall paper, leather couch seating, and gorgeous glass chandeliers help balance out the high ceiling and provide a nice mix of contemporary elegance.  The ceiling gives the space a big open feel and good acoustics for live music.  The VIP balcony is a slight upgrade from the traditional roped off dance floor tables that establishments like to pass off as VIP.  However, I was a little underwhelmed with the alcohol selection.  The club has no specialty drink list and definitely isn’t a place for my wine connoisseurs but, the bartenders do a superb job of mixing up anything your little heart dream of.  All in all, the venue lives up to the hype and is worth the trip downtown.     

Parking: Sucks!

Cover: Not sure what it is normally but it was $20 the night I went

Drinks: 3 stars

Price:  $$$ The martinis are a little pricey ($12) but they’re worth it.

Good for: Dancing, out of towners, freakem girl dress or fresh to death night on the town, live music

Pictures: http://zizwe.smugmug.com/Parties/Mirage

Blue Hill Tavern

One of the highlights of my job is getting a chance to check out the full spectrum of entertainment.  My escapades land me in every kind of venue from grand ballrooms to new age happy hours and neighborhood watering holes.  Finding an upscale venue that offers great food and drinks at ballin on a budget prices is always an extra bonus.  I recently made such a discovery at Blue Hill Tavern (BHT).  It wasn’t my first time there but it was the first time I got to take advantage of their happy hour specials. The happy hour menu at BHT features half price appetizers and cocktails from 4pm-7pm.  You might be thinking, “That sounds pretty standard Lovelace”, trust me when I tell you the selection, décor and service are anything but normal.  If you’ve never been to BHT let me paint a picture before I jump into all the yummy deliciousness that awaits inside.  BHT is located in Canton and is one of the few spots in the area that offers complementary valet parking, which is a lifesaver in Canton.  They decided to take the literal approach with interior décor.  I know it might sound a little wacky, but I assure you you’re not walking into smurf village.  The muted gray wall color helps to balance out the blue accents that run throughout the restaurant and the hard wood floors give the space a rich feel.  The blue accents also bring a spa like atmosphere to the venue. In my humble opinion, the bar is one of the sexist (Yes bars can be sexy) in Baltimore.  Two big screen mirror incased golden framed televisions and a waterfall can make almost anything sexy. The restaurant offesr two levels of indoor dinning, terrace dinning, and an outdoor patio space.  Sooooo, with all this ambiance happy hour prices must be a little lack luster right? WRONG! Appetizers and cocktail average out to about $5-$6 per item during happy hour.  We’re not talking Buffalo wings, French fries and rail drinks here either folks!  This happy hour serves up treats for foodies that have eclectic palates with options such as Calamari Salad, Artisanal Cheese Plate, Seared Tofu, Painkiller Martini (my new personal favorite), and Pear Chai Mule cocktails.  The only thing that seemed a bit lack luster was the crowed.  Definitely one of the quietist happy hours I’ve been to in a while, but even that was a nice change.   BHT gets my vote as a Ballin on a Budget happy hour top contender for friendly service, awesome food and even better drinks.

Good for: Happy hour (obviously), lunch, dinner, private events

Parking: Complementary  valet

Gotta try it: Mac&Cheese, Painkiller Martini, Mussels, Bread Pudding, Pear Chai Mule, Hell try all the drinks you won’t be disappointed! 

   

Pricing: $$